Fools - Gold: redux

From the so-called National Autism Association:

Liz Birt “Go for the Gold” Mouse Model, SafeMinds

Liz was a co-founder and board member of SafeMinds, a parent advocacy organization dedicated to expanding research on the role of mercury from vaccines and other sources as a cause of autism. One of the researchers which SafeMinds is funding is Dr. Mady Hornig of Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.

Dr. Hornig has created a mouse model for autism using exposure to the mercury preservative thimerosal found in infant vaccines.

Expanding this research, she is developing a treatment protocol using gold salts which she will administer to these genetically susceptible mice to determine if the treatment might improve their behavior and brain function and if there are side effects.

Gold tightly binds mercury

and there are anecdotal reports of gold salts being effective in improving autism outcomes.

Gold salts (chrysotherapy) were also used for many years for the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

This project has been aptly named “Go for the Gold.” Dr. Hornig was inspired to undertake this research when she learned of Liz’s death. ...

Contrary to the statement on the National Autism Association's website, Dr. Hornig has not created a mouse model for autism. Not even close. So what is she "expanding"? She chronically overdosed autoimmune-disease-prone mice with mercury and didn't get autistic symptoms out of them, even though she was watching for what she assumed were the mousey version of autism symptoms.

She chronically overdosed her mice with thimerosal in a manner that does not mimic the vaccine exposure infants received during the 1990's in the U.S., and got almost no behavioral change out of them, but she did get what looks like peripheral neuropathy which she didn't report in the original paper. Since all this mercury didn't seem to affect the non-immune-sensitive mice at all, how dangerous can mercury be? She doesn't report if the other mice had peripheral nerve damage symptoms maybe all the mice she injected with mercury started to chew on their feet because of the peripheral nerve damage.

But now, she will put mercury in her mice again and then, later inject gold into them. Presumably, she will inject the gold, since that was the treatment Donald T got. But, maybe she'll mix up a "transdermal" gold-salt cream. The gold is supposed to act like a chelator, even though there's no biochemical reason to think that it would act that way in the human or mouse body.

Gold salts are used in some forms of juvenile arthritis. The way the treatment is carried out is to give injections once a week until the gold builds up in the body to a sufficient level.

This would tend to imply that the gold goes in and stays in wouldn't it? If it's going in and staying in, is it also carrying mercury out of the body with it? Has Hornig looked into how much of the gold will stay in the mouse? Has she looked into the damaging effects of gold?

Here is some information on the use of gold salts in Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis:

Intramuscular gold salts

Gold salts have not been shown in studies to be effective in treating [Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis] JRA. However, some children have been observed to have long periods of remission when treated with gold salt injections.

Gold shots are not recommended for children with systemic JRA because of the possibility of severe side effects. Intramuscular gold salts are associated with more serious toxic reactions in children with systemic-onset JRA than in children with other types of JRA.


Side Effects

Side effects may develop after a significant amount of gold has built up in the body. Side effects from intramuscular gold salt therapy fall into three categories:

Common but less serious side effects include mouth sores, skin rashes, and hair thinning.

Less common but serious side effects include inflammation of the kidneys and reduced white blood cell, red blood cell, or platelet counts. These side effects can be detected early with regular blood and urine tests; if the drug is stopped, there is no permanent damage.

Rare and serious side effects include inflammation of the colon (colitis) and inflammation or scarring of the lung (pneumonitis).

More on side effects of gold salts from a different source:

Side Effects of This Medicine

Gold compounds have been shown to cause tumors and cancer of the kidney when given to animals in large amounts for a long time. However, these effects have not been reported in humans receiving gold compounds for arthritis. ...

Check with your doctor as soon as possible if any of the following side effects occur:

More common

Irritation or soreness of tongue-less common with auranofin; metallic taste-less common with auranofin; skin rash or itching; redness, soreness, swelling, or bleeding of gums-rare with auranofin; ulcers, sores, or white spots on lips or in mouth or throat

Less common

Bloody or cloudy urine; hives

Rare

Abdominal or stomach pain, cramping, or burning (severe); bloody or black, tarry stools;

confusion; convulsions (seizures); coughing, hoarseness, difficulty in breathing, shortness of breath, tightness in chest, or wheezing;

dark urine; decreased urination; decreased vision;

difficulty in swallowing; feeling of something in the eye;

fever; hair loss;

hallucinations (hearing, seeing, or feeling things that are not there);

irritation of nose, throat, or upper chest area, possibly with hoarseness or coughing; irritation of vagina; nausea, vomiting, or heartburn (severe and/or continuing);

numbness, tingling, pain, or weakness, especially in the face, hands, arms, or feet; pale stools;

painful or difficult urination; pain in lower back, side, or lower abdomen (stomach) area; pain, redness, itching, or tearing of eyes; pinpoint red spots on skin;

problems with muscle coordination; red, thickened, or scaly skin;

sore throat and fever with or without chills; swelling of face, fingers, ankles, lower legs, or feet; swellings (large) on face, eyelids, mouth, lips, and/or tongue;

swollen and/or painful glands; unusual bleeding or bruising; unusual tiredness or weakness;

vomiting of blood or material that looks like coffee grounds; yellow eyes or skin

Abstract describing how gold from sodium aurothio[1,4-14C]malate (Radioactive Carbon 14 tagged gold salts, apparently) is deposited in a rat's body, " Gold was located principally in kidney, liver, lung and spleen with smaller amounts elsewhere" So did the gold not get past the blood-brain-barrier? If so, is that a problem if you are trying to chelate mercury out of a kid's brain?

MYOCHRYSINE®, injectible sodium aurothiomalate, is made by Rhône-Poulenc Rorer. One of the first questions Hornig needs to ask is, "Is this stuff I intend to use made by the utterly evil BIG pharma. And, "If so, should I really be buying the stuff and thereby promoting the continuation of evil? " Someone needs to ask these tough questions. Maybe the Institutional Review Board at Columbia University will. But then, they are probably supported in part by the utterly evil BIG pharma.


The idea that gold salts turned Donald T from an autistic person into a normal person is just bizarre, but it's typical of the cargo cult thinking of the never-ending Dan Olmsted and his followers.


Autism Diva
Au/relia